#1 pontoon

[pushnwood]

What is the best pontoon for the money on the market right now? I like the Playcrafts & Benningtons.

 

[5150abf]

Re: #1 pontoon

According to JD Power and CSI(customer service index award) it is Bennington, of the 7 years that JD Power has offered the award Bennington has taken it 4 times, they finished 2nd the other 3 years and if you compare waranties they get even better.

I am slightly bias since I have worked there for the last 12 years but we really do make the best designed and built pontoon you can get.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: #1 pontoon

Tough to go wrong with a Bennington.

 

[Bearfan]

Re: #1 pontoon

In all of my searches I ended up buying a Bennington. I also thought about Manitou, but I like the design of a Bennington better.

 

[salt city jim]

Re: #1 pontoon

Hands down bennington.. When you look under the vessel and see the welds and the support that's there' it just says quality.. Also, they hold there value for resale.My bro has one, and I sure wish I did.
Jim

 

[pushnwood]

Re: #1 pontoon

Thanks for the replies, I have it narrowed down to these two boats, I think now it will be the one I can get the best deal on. The only real advantage the Playcraft has is the steps in the rear of the toon.

 

[imported_John o]

Re: #1 pontoon

The answer to the question "what is teh best pontoon" is almost always answered "The one I own"

The top two brands for the last few years have been Bennigton and Manitou (M has also ranked #1 or 2 for the last 7 years in JD Powers). Manitou tends to have better handling while Bennington tends to have better finish. However, the difference between #1 and #2 is trivial. Both are great well built boats.

Find a model that will do what you want it to do. and get that one. Each brand is safe

I liked the handling of the Manitou and their Osprey Pro fishing pontoon had almost everything I wanted. Others would choose bennies for their own reasons.

 

[1badtoon]

Re: #1 pontoon

The answer to the question "what is teh best pontoon" is almost always answered "The one I own"

The top two brands for the last few years have been Bennigton and Manitou (M has also ranked #1 or 2 for the last 7 years in JD Powers). Manitou tends to have better handling while Bennington tends to have better finish. However, the difference between #1 and #2 is trivial. Both are great well built boats.

Find a model that will do what you want it to do. and get that one. Each brand is safe

I liked the handling of the Manitou and their Osprey Pro fishing pontoon had almost everything I wanted. Others would choose bennies for their own reasons.

There are a several top builder Bennington,Playcraft,Premier and Manitou.The Dealer is what you have to decide on. In our area of the country alot of boat dealers are hurting.

 

[jafo9]

Re: #1 pontoon

when i replaced my last toon with my current toon, i started with what i wanted the boat to do. i wanted a "performance package". i wanted a particular seating arrangement and a minimum cruising speed. rather than focusing on a particular manufacturer, you may find it more helpful to broaden your horizons a bit. also, have you considered a used boat?

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: #1 pontoon

To answer your original question, the Bennington is an outstanding boat, but IMHO, it is not the best value. You find the best boat for the money in the middle of the line boats.

 

[pushnwood]

Re: #1 pontoon

The boat I buy will be used, there are too many great deals out there right now to justify buying new. This and financing is why dealers are hurting.

 

[joecooool]

Re: #1 pontoon

Best boat and best value are usually two different things.

I just bought a new Suntracker 18 party barge with a 40 hp four stroke big foot motor and trailer (with brakes) for $12,500 out the door.

Granted there are many parts I have to replace operating on salt water, but thats a cost I guess I can live with.

 

[skip4926]

Re: #1 pontoon

I bought an 2000 18" riviera cruiser with a 50 merc for $2k. Engine works great, tubes are in good shape but the seats looked like they were in WW2. This boat actually sat for sale for over a month. I used it last summer without issue. In my opinion, shop for a used boat that is solid with a good working motor that just needs some TLC.

 

[skip4926]

Re: #1 pontoon

She aint pretty, but we logged many happy hours last summer for $2k.

 

[brumbyvet]

Re: #1 pontoon

As others have said, it all depends on what you want your boat to be. If you want to spend the money, anything is possible. What was important to me was performance, light weight, fuel economy and sporty looks. That's why I bought what I did and I'm very happy with it. For me it is the best boat for the money. What I wanted in the first pontoon I bought was a low price, and plenty of room. I bought a very low end boat but it was what I wanted and for me it was the best boat for the money. Differant strokes for differant folks....